What Really Happened on AirTrans Flight 297?

KHOU News Houston ^ | November 18, 2009 | AP

[Sequoyah101]

This squib appeared on the KHOU website on November 18 but is seems to be only a fraction of the story. Read the comments below the story please.

ATLANTA -- AirTran Airways says a flight from Atlanta to Houston with more than 70 passengers on board was delayed when a passenger refused to end a cell phone call.

... Flight 297, a Boeing 717, was taxiing on the runway in Atlanta Tuesday afternoon when a crew member asked a passenger to turn off his phone.

... after several failed attempts by the crew member to end the conversation, the captain returned the plane to the gate.

... the passenger complied when he was asked to get off the plane. He says no charges were filed, and that the plane departed for Houston 2 ½ hours later.

[Quix]

THX.

There’s a chaplain that’s reportedly been on some channel reporting essentially the same stuff.

Mentioned on one of these threads on FR.

[OB1kNOb]

Hackamack, Petruna, NASA? Where were these mentioned?

See the email my friend received yesterday. She called the phone number listed at the end and left a message. Mr. Hackemack called her back and assured her this was as real as he was.

Email:

This is unbelievable… this can happen on in America. We must not upset anybody.

This is unbelievable. The story on the web makes it all sound so nonchalant. http://www.khou.com/news/Phone-call-delays-Houston-bound-AirTran-flight-70369417.html

Then I got this email from my good friend Tedd Petruna, a diver at the NBL facility at NASA who I used to work with. He happened to be on this same flight. In my opinion, the muslims are all getting very brave now, since they have one of their own in the White House. Read Tedd's story below. Can you imagine, our own news media are so politically correct now that they are afraid to report that these were all muslims. Unbelievable! Thank God for people like Tedd Petruna.

Semper Fi,

A. Gene Hackemack.

B. ----- Original Message ----- From: Petruna, Tedd J. (JSC-DX12)[RAYTHEON TECHNICAL SERVICES COMPANY]

To: undisclosed-recipients

Sent: Friday, November 27, 2009 11:32 AM

One week ago, I went to Ohio on business and to see my father. On Tuesday, November 17, I returned home. If you read the papers, you may have seen a blurb where an AirTran flight was cancelled from Atlanta to Houston due to a man who refused to get off of his cell phone before takeoff. It was on Fox.

That was NOT what happened!

I was in first class coming home. Eleven muslim men got on the plane in full attire. Two sat in first class and the rest peppered themselves throughout the plane all the way to the back. As the plane taxied to the runway, the stewardesses gave the safety spiel we are all so familiar with. At that time, one of the men got on his cell and called one of his companions in the back and proceeded to talk on the phone in Arabic very loudly and very aggressively. This took the first stewardess out of the picture for she repeatedly told the man that cell phones were not permitted at the time. He ignored her as if she wasn't there.

The second man who answered the phone did the same and this took out the second stewardess. In the back of the plane at this time, 2 younger muslims, one in the back aisle, and one in front of him, window, began to show footage of a porno they had taped the night before, and were very loud about it. Now, they are only permitted to do this prior to Jihad. If a Muslim man goes into a strip club, he has to view the woman via mirror with his back to her (don't ask me, I don't make the rules, but I've studied). The third stewardess informed them that they were not to have electronic devices on at this time. To which one of the men said, "Shut up, infidel dog!" She went to take the camcorder and he began to scream in her face in Arabic.

At that exact moment, all 11 of them got up and started to walk to the cabin. This is where I had had enough! I got up and started to the back where I heard a voice behind me from another Texan twice my size say, "I got your back." I grabbed the man who had been on the phone by the arm and said, "you WILL go sit down or you Will be thrown from this plane!" As I led him around me to take his seat, the fellow Texan grabbed him by the back of his neck and his waist and headed out with him. I then grabbed the second man and said, "You WILL do the same!" He protested but adrenaline was flowing now and he was going to go. As I escorted him forward, the plane doors open and 3 TSA agents and 4 police officers entered. Me and my new Texan friend were told to cease and desist for they had this under control. I was happy to oblige actually. There was some commotion in the back, but within moments, all 11 were escorted off the plane. They then unloaded their luggage.

We talked about the occurrence and were in disbelief that it had happened, when suddenly, the door opened again and on walked all eleven!! Stone faced, eyes front and robotic (the only way I can describe it). The stewardess from the back had been in tears and when she saw this, she was having NONE of it! Being that I was up front, I heard and saw the whole ordeal. She told the TSA agent there was NO WAY she was staying on the plane with these men. The agent told her they had searched them and were going to go through their luggage with a fine tooth comb and that they were allowed to proceed to Houston. The captain and co-captain came out and told the agent, "we and our crew will not fly this plane!" After a word or two, the entire crew, luggage in tow, left the plane. Five minutes later, the cabin door opened again and a whole new crew walked on.

Again, this is where I had had enough!! I got up and asked, "What the hell is going on?" I was told to take my seat. They were sorry for the delay and I would be home shortly. I said, "I’m getting off this plane." The stewardess sternly told me that she could not allow me to get off.

Now I’m mad! I said, "I am a grown man who bought this ticket, who’s time is mine with a family at home and I am going through that door, or I’m going through that door with you under my arm!! But I am going through that door!!" And I heard a voice behind me say, "So am I." Then everyone behind us started to get up and say the same. Within 2 minutes, I was walking off that plane where I was met with more agents who asked me to write a statement. I had 5 hours to kill at this point so why the hell not. Due to the amount of people who got off that flight, it was cancelled. I was supposed to be in Houston at 6pm. I got here at 12:30am.

Look up the date. Flight 297, Atlanta to Houston.

If this wasn’t a dry run, I don’t know what one is. They wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the crew would handle it, and how the passengers would handle it.

I'm telling this to you because I want you to know. The threat is real. I saw it with my own eyes.

Tedd Petruna

A. Gene Hackemack

979-251-2310 cell & home

buttonbox01@gmail.com

8725 Hwy 290 W

Brenham TX 77833

[Quix]

I found that report on his investigation incredibly professional and believable.

I think it’s worth all FREEPERS reading it.

[Quix]

EXCELLENT PRESENCE OF MIND.

EXCELLENT TAKING ACTION.

CONGRATS FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE to all of us.

[Quix]

This article about substantive investigation into the incident was quite convincing.

He interviewed 7 people directly involved, including 2 law enforcment personnel. He also had comments from airline personnel:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508

[Quix]

And I say you are thoroughly wrong in your assumptions.

Check this article out:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508

Also, our Freeper Bro has communicated with folks connected to or professionaly informed of the incident.

[Quix]

Thx.

I’m certainly brazen enough to say it happened and essentially as initially reported.

All; See investigator’s report here:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508

[Quix]

Read an investigator’s report, hot shot:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508

[Quix]

Indeed.

Thanks thanks.

Perhaps you have read this investigative report:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508

[aruanan]

If he was sitting in first class, how could he tell they peppered themselves throughout coach? Can he see through the bulkhead/curtain?

Because he saw all but two walk past him in first class and there wasn't anywhere else they could have gone but coach?

As for your other comments, you're assuming he is narrating these things from what he observed at the time rather than relating what he had put together after talking to other passengers and crew after having made it off the plane.

[Clinging Bitterly]

btrl

[AppyPappy]

Kinda funny that none of those people have names.

[Quix]

Not given the sensitivity of the incident . . .

evidently at least to . . . .

officials

and

Muslims

Which would you want to invite to track you down and harrass you or worse?

[Cvengr]

IMHO, multiple instances of other probes occurred at other places throughout the US involving Muslim overt suspicious behavior in generally regarded secure environments occurred within the month, if not within a week of the same instance.

IMHO, we’re being probed by an adversarial force using asymmetric warfare and testing reaction times and likely actions to develop their tactical maneuver warfare.

IMHO, the Executive Branch needs to use CounterIntel to brief the POTUS to better brief the American public so that we aren’t caught unaware like 9/11. It reads as though the next attack will be on multiple fronts and further in depth.

[Quix]

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.

Though I don’t think briefing OThuga would help a bit.

He’s on their side.

[brytlea]

Many still will poohpooh it.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Ya. Little more than the scene from "Anger Management" will get you sent to the cooler. It makes less sense that a guy would get kicked off the flight and not receive some kind of charges.

Guess we'll have to wait for the crack investigative journalists from the Times, Post, Chronicle or network TV to get to the bottom of this & tell us what really happened. Or for somebody to hack an email account or something.

Whichever.

[cyn]

Read with interest; thanks.

[STARWISE]

That email is mostly true .. it happened. Time
to get that sinking feeling they’re covering it
up and and giving us the “move along” routine:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399999/posts

See the email in that thread from Gene Hackenback.

[riri]

Ugh. I have to fly in two weeks.

The timing is about right. I would think we are at about the time where we would see the Obama enduced cracks in the security measures Bush enacted start to break wide open.